Hemmings Find of the Day – 1950 Lincoln club coupe

This 1950 Lincoln Club Coupe for sale on Hemmings.com is just begging to be restored to its original condition. The drivetrain is intact, as are the glass and most of the front seat, and the body appears to be in decent overall condition. The back seat has been lost to history, and the rusted-through trunk will require some new steel, but overall, the car could be restored and enjoyed for a reasonable investment, and 1950 Lincoln Club Coupes aren’t very common at car shows. From the seller’s description:

Has the flathead V-8, auto. trans.+ all of the drive train is there. It has all of the trim+bumpers. All of the glass is in it. Most of the interior pc. is there except for back seat. There are some holes in floors, mostly in the trunk. There are some minor dents and rust holes in body, no gas door. Great Project car. Someone needs to chop this puppy and make a street rod out of it, these thing’s look awesome, I just don’t have the time it needs.

SUGGESTED READING

autobug2says:

February 19, 2014 9:19 am

Saw this one awhile back. Not sure about the price considering what it needs. The flathead appears all there and hopefully the rot in the floors, etc. can be fixed affordably. Not heavily optioned; no hyd. windows/seat but that doesn’t detract from the overall completeness. It would look great in a cream with tobacco interior, fully restored.

larry youngsays:

February 19, 2014 9:23 am

Howard Arbituresays:

February 19, 2014 9:53 am

Hi Lar, I agree, always thought these cars looked cross-eyed. This seems to border on a ambitious restoration/parts car.( a 4 or 5?) I had Packard parts cars that may have been better than this, but very unique and rare( unchopped,that is)

Olddavidsays:

February 19, 2014 10:25 am

My exact thoughts, and I believed it was only me. The ’57 Ford tail fins also look cock-eyed to my poor aged brain. Have since I first saw them at a Ford store on introduction day (remember those?) out on Irving Park road in fall of 1956. We were in Chicago for dealer meetings with Rambler, as my Father was applying for a franchise.

David Milroysays:

February 19, 2014 5:13 pm

Hard to believe that this is the model that followed my 1948 Lincoln Comntinental coupe..the direct descendant of the gorgeous 1939 LIncoln Continental. What a difference a year (or two) makes! So glad the Mark II came along to redeem the brand!

Scotty Gsays:

February 19, 2014 10:18 am

Richardsays:

February 19, 2014 1:22 pm

I agree with Scotty, you do not take a good old car like this and chop it up, it makes it look ugly and it is not worth as much when you are done,
if I had the money , I would buy this car to save it , and as i can , restore it piece by piece and then drive it with pride.

Clive Macannsays:

February 19, 2014 2:17 pm

Scotty Gsays:

February 19, 2014 5:15 pm

I’d love to see a photo of your sweet ride, it sounds like it’s pretty cool. We have “vision”, but it’s just a different vision than you have. Black / white, Ford / Chevy, we all like what we like and we’re all right with our opinions.

rezmansays:

February 19, 2014 11:10 am

Jacksays:

February 19, 2014 12:08 pm

Hot Rod Lincoln” was recorded in 1955 as an answer song to “Hot Rod Race”, a 1951 hit for Arkie Shibley and his Mountain Dew Boys. Hot Rod Race tells the story of a late-model Ford and Mercury who end up racing along the highway, neither driver gaining an advantage, and staying “neck and neck” until they are both overtaken (to their amazement) by a kid in “a hopped-up Model A”.

“Hot Rod Lincoln” was written by Charlie Ryan, who had also recorded a version of “Hot Rod Race”, and W. S. Stevenson. It begins with a direct reference to Shibley’s earlier ballad, stating “You heard the story of the hot rod race that fatal day, when the Ford and the Mercury went out to play. Well, this is the inside story and I’m here to say, I’m the kid that was a-drivin’ that Model A.”

Ryan owned a real hot rod that was built from a 1948 12-cylinder Lincoln chassis shortened two feet and with a 1930 Ford Model A body fitted to it. Thus the song explains how in “Hot Rod Race” a kid in a Model A could have outrun late-model Ford and Mercury sedans. Ryan actually raced his hot rod against a Cadillac sedan driven by a friend in Lewiston, Idaho, driving up the Spiral Highway (former U.S. 95) to the top of Lewiston Hill. His song, however, keeps the same location as “Hot Rod Race”, namely Grapevine Hill, which is an old-time local southern California nickname for the long, nearly straight grade up Grapevine Canyon to Tejon Pass, near the town of Gorman, California, between San Pedro, Los Angeles and Bakersfield.

The first release of “Hot Rod Lincoln”, in 1955, was recorded by co-writer Ryan, recording as Charlie Ryan and The Livingston Brothers.[1] Ryan’s 1959 version, on 4 Star, as Charlie Ryan and The Timberline Riders, is probably better known.

The 1960 version by Johnny Bond was a hit for Republic Records. Bond’s Lincoln has eight cylinders (“and uses them all”), rather than the 12 cylinders pulling Ryan’s Model A.

The 1972 release by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen went to #9 on the Billboard charts and #7 in Canada. Cody’s version opens with the spoken lines, “My Pappy said: Son, you’re going to drive me to drinkin’ if you don’t stop drivin’ that hot rod Lincoln.” Cody’s version also uses a slightly different guitar riff at the beginning, and adopts parts of Johnny Bond’s version, including the reference to eight cylinders. Cody’s version is largely true to the original with changes that most people don’t notice. However, the first line “You’ve heard the story of the hot rod race when the Fords and the Lincolns were setting the pace …” completely misses telling the listener that this song is the story of the kid and his Model A that outran the fellows in the late-model Ford and Mercury in the earlier song, Hot Rod Race.

February 19, 2014 9:56 am

David Holcombesays:

February 19, 2014 10:01 am

This was the smaller Lincoln for 1950, originally designed as a Mercury. Lincoln issued two series for 1949: a 121-inch-wheelbase standard line and the costlier 125-inch Cosmopolitan. The former, sharing basic bodyshells with that year’s new Mercury, comprised sedan, coupe, and convertible; Cosmo added a Town Sedan, a massive six-window fastback. The aged V-12 was replaced at last by a 152-bhp 337-cid L-head V-8 originally designed for Ford trucks.

Roysays:

February 19, 2014 12:44 pm

50 Lincoln cosmo was my first car. It was big and heavy and sort of ugly. Loved to have the mec. of same year. But I was so happy when dad called from Cleveland and said he won one in a poker game for me. I could put a lot of kids in it even though it was a 2 door.I was 17 and ready to put up my bike for some real wheels. I kept it for about 6 mos, and sold it for 25.00. The guy wanted the motor for a stock car. Alas, when he got in to it it had a cracked block. It was all their but went to the junk yard. When sold I had lost reverse gear and had to watch where I pulled in to get out. The year was 1958. Good times but a struggle.

Roysays:

February 23, 2014 9:07 am

Oh yes, One other thing. When I moved in to our present home in 1987 I looked up one day in the rafters in my garage and found a factory manual and another book on how to install the heater. It on a 1950 Lincoln. That’s all I have from my old Lincoln . Seems that the guy that build the home in 1940 had a new Lincoln bought in 1950 just like the one I had.

Coysays:

February 19, 2014 10:22 am

I see alot of these older cars, thru out the southwest, in yards, along old dried up river and stream beds and alot of them in the old mining camps. Either no one around or they want the latest gold prices for them.

Olddavidsays:

February 19, 2014 10:36 am

Price on a 64 year old car is always relative. Is it worth $8k or $3k? A forward thinker pushes the cost downstream, and I cannot imagine $5,000 being a deal-breaker when talking of a restored car in the mid five figure range. However, being retired, I am very price sensitive, and will walk on a used car deal over $500, so I guess the circumstance is primary. Drives my poor wife crazy. She actually has proposed a tiny house for my hobby in our back yard abutting the alley. At least I hope its for my car stuff?

Bruce T.says:

February 19, 2014 1:43 pm

pfsmsays:

February 19, 2014 2:03 pm

Oh, that is an ugly car. I’m only mildly curious what happens to it. It is admittedly quite complete, yet so much of what is there would have to be replaced….

I remember when I had my 48 Ford “Tudor” sedan, I found a set of 50 Merc wheels for the back, with 7.60-15 tires that helped the Ford handle a little better. I found out that Lincoln wheels of the same vintage were an inch wider yet, but could never find any. In 1962, ’50 Lincolns were already thin on the ground.

larry youngsays:

February 19, 2014 4:07 pm

back in the mid ’80’s I was reading Super Stock and Drag magazine and I think they had an article on a ’60’s continental and it was lettered ”hot rod lincoln”. when I went to Firebird raceway in Chandler,az. I saw a ’64-66 caddy that ran in the super street class and on the back it said ”where’s that hot rod Lincoln ?” it was a neat car.

February 20, 2014 7:52 am

Patrick (Pjmk65)says:

February 20, 2014 8:44 am

“Wikipedia strikes again” They missed one of the the original reasons why they are called Suicide doors.

Wikipedia does very little fact checking or making sure the people writing in are qualified. It is so bad that they had a Disc Jockey from the Bob and Tom show (nationally syndicated radio show) as deceased. The fact they were on the air Mon-Fri should have been a clue.

If not made rigid enough the wood inner structure and steel outer body of many cars could flex especially under high speed cornering or rough roads. Poor latch design could allow the doors to unlatch. The suicide door was more likely to dig into the ground or catch on a nearby object causing the car to crash.

Supposedly the two decades where you were most likely to die if you were in a car accident were the 1920’s and 1930’s. Cars were going faster, but little or no thought was given to safety or crash protection.

tom psays:

February 19, 2014 8:33 pm

EarlWelchsays:

February 20, 2014 12:24 am

Well, I wouldn’t have this rat for free if I had to even get it running and roadworthy! Rust all over and under, engine probably stuck and shot, the glass is all there??-good luck with THAT! NO thanks…..

Richard Oakessays:

February 21, 2014 9:05 pm

Boy, I would be glad if some one offered me a car like this, it would go in my shop right away and start getting fixed, I have all ways wanted one ,to restore but never got the chance. I happen to think they have character unlike the things you see on the road today. all of the new cars look alike to me.

1950's Car Nutsays:

February 23, 2014 8:16 am

Old Car Guysays:

February 23, 2014 10:27 pm

If the car is that rare, and it is, then the price is not a big deal.
I remember that a certain Pierce Silver Arrow (one of three) was a hulk found buried in a riverbed. It is now restored and worth $$$$$$.

tom psays:

February 24, 2014 2:12 pm

I’m not ‘into’ these early Lincoln models, but do have an affinity for two door models. If someone wanted one of these in a ‘worse way,’ could a Mercury 2 door be made into a Lincoln?

I recall some years back, a friend had a ‘real rat’ ’58 Packard Hawk. Using the appropriate/model specific Packard Hawk parts mounted onto a very clean 55 Studebaker President hardtop shell, he built a ‘Packard Hawk.’

Yeah the numbers didn’t match…but for those who don’t worry about such trivia…the car appeared…was…for all intents and purposes…a very nice ‘Packard Hawk.’